"They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To"

The other day, I noticed my dishwasher sounding like it was washing gravel, not a sound you want to hear coming from your kitchen. The dishwasher is not that old either, I'm thinking probably 5 or 6 years ago we bought this one to replace the old girl we'd had for only ten years. Why is it that they don't make things like they used to? In the 16 years since we bought our home, we've been through 3 washing machines, 2 dryers and recently purchased our second refrigerator. Thank goodness for the microwave oven we purchased 21 years ago that's still going strong {Jinx!}.

In today's world of instant gratification, it seems like so many things are disposable.  It's cheaper to buy something new rather than pay to have it repaired. If you know me, you know I want to fix everything. My husband always wants to buy new. So, we discussed our options. Should we try and have it repaired or just go for the new model. Of course my husband says, just get a new one...I wanted to repair it.

I was heading to the mall anyway, so I visited my local Sears to see what the damage would be. Immediately, I was approached by a lovely saleswoman asking if she could assist me. I explained my situation and asked about the cost of repair vs. purchasing a new appliance. It turns out, it's roughly $100 to have a repair person come to the house. Most likely, they will have to return another day with the parts which could range anywhere from $40-$200 depending on the problem, plus labor. Basically, we were looking at $200-$400. The new model I was interested in looking at was on sale from $549 to $404. The internal battle began. Possibly spend around $200 to repair an appliance and then need to repair it again in the future, or buy a new one and have a shiny new dishwasher to admire. At this point I was pretty much sold on the idea of buying a new one.

She offered to show me some of the floor models and asked what I have now. I described it and said it was only 5-6 years old. Now, I know this is true because I remember the previous one being about 10 years old. We purchased it when we built our home. The sales woman was adamant in telling me it was probably 14 years old. She proceeded to argue with me but finally relented realizing I was probably going to purchase something that day.

Next she asked me if my husband was handy and if he were, he might be able to hook it up for me or else the installer, a licensed plumber could do it for $220! First of all, no, my husband is not handy, but I AM. Why should my husband be the handy one? I definitely wasn't going to buy an appliance at Sears anyway, but this lit a fire under my butt. I went home and fired up YouTube.

I figured it has to be pretty basic. Unhook this, hook up that...I was determined to do this myself. I searched videos of how to install a dishwasher. After the third video, I was sure I could handle the job and for free! But this little voice in my head kept saying "licensed plumber".  What if I installed it incorrectly and the basement floods? {Perhaps I should have a licensed plumber do the install.}

I still hadn't purchased a dishwasher yet. I had a feeling I could find one elsewhere and have it  installed for less than $220. In the past, I'd had a negative experience with Sears and ended up purchasing the latest dryer from Home Depot. Most big name stores have price matching anyway, so what really matters to me is customer service and delivery/installation costs.

I decided to check Home Depot's website and shop their appliances. It turns out, they offer the same options at the same price as Sears. Their install however, is only $79 plus $20 for a new hose and install kit, free delivery and they'll take away the old appliance! I went ahead and for the first time ever, ordered an appliance on line and scheduled delivery. Sold!

In the end, I spent $518.
Dishwasher-404
Install-79
Hose and kit-20
Removal of old appliance-15
Peace of Mind-priceless.

Three days later, Home Depot delivered my new dishwasher. I explained to the installer that I had considered doing the install myself and he offered to let me watch how it was done! I, of course, was thrilled. He walked me through the entire process and in the end, I certainly could have done it myself.

While I would have loved to have repaired or installed the dishwasher on my own, I feel good about knowing my limits and turning to an expert.  I just wish they made 'em like they used to.

You Can Do It!

Switch-A-Roo

Here's a classic How-To instructional: How to switch out a 3-way light switch...

In our hallway, we have three light switches that all work the same two ceiling lights. Two switches are in perfect working order, the third was a little hinkey. By this, I mean the switch seemed loose and would often cause the light to flicker. I knew this was an easy fix so I headed to my local hardware store. They are extremely knowledgeable and helpful {they never treat me like a girl who doesn't know what I'm doing}. Usually, I will tell them what project I'm working on and ask if they have any tips. One time, I removed the tank from the back of my toilet and brought it in so they could show me how to replace the pump! But this time,  I took pictures of the old switch so I would be sure and purchase the correct replacement.

There are a few different options when shopping for a light switch. This job required a White Standard 3-way Switch.  Proper tools are essential.

Philips head screwdriver
Flat head screwdriver
Needle nose pliers



First, find your fuse box. It's usually in the basement or on the first level of the home. When you open the door, there should be a list telling you which switch corresponds to which area of the home. If you cannot decipher which one you're looking for you have two options. 1. Try each one until you find it. {I had my daughter yell down to me when the hall light went out} 2. Use the master switch and turn off all the power in the home.

Once your sure the power has been shut off, remove the switch plate using a flat head screwdriver.




This will expose your installed switch. Next, using a philips head screwdriver, remove the screws holding the switch in place. Now pull the switch out as far as the wires will allow.

There are 5 wires in this picture. 1 copper,
  1 red and 3 black. One top black wire will
  be wrapped around the black screw.
  The other will be pushed into the back of
   the switch. The 3rd black wire should
    actually be white and will be treated
 that way.

Don't be scared, it's going to look like a mess.  There will be 5 wires connected to your switch: 2 black, 1 white, 1 red and 1 green {or copper}. Each is connected by a screw to a different corner and one black will be sticking out of the back. Now, when I pulled my switch out, there wasn't a white wire, It was black! This won't actually matter as long as it is treated like a white wire. To remove the black wire from the back of the switch, notice that there is a small slit with an arrow pointing to it. It may have the word "release" printed above it. You will need to insert a sharp object, like an eyeglass screwdriver to release the wire.  Once each wire is reconnected to the same place on the new switch, it will work perfectly.

New switch out of package. Notice the black
screw on the top left, green on top right, two
silver screws on either side, bottom. On the
back, there is a small hole where one of the
black wires will be inserted.

The screws are color coded. One screw will be black. This is where the black wire belongs. Another will be green, this is where the green or copper wire {the ground wire} belongs. The red and white are interchangeable and can be connected to either silver screw. Again, I treated the extra black wire like a white wire and it worked fine. After removing the black wire from the old switch by pressing the release, insert it into the new switch.

Next, loosen the screws using the philips head screwdriver and remove the connected wires. Attach the wires to the same corners as the old switch using the needle nose pliers to bend the wires around the screws. You may need to pinch the wires to get them to stay until you are able to tighten the screws.

Tighten the screws and push all the wires back into the wall making sure you have your switch in the upright position. Line up the screws with the holes and tighten them. Replace the switch plate.

Return to the fuse box and reset the switch reestablishing power and you're good to go! Try your new switch to be sure you connected everything correctly. Now, by all means, brag to your friends and family that you installed your own light switch!

You Can Do It!

Booties and Blankies and Binkies, Oh My!

I love babies. I love their booties and blankies and binkies. All those tiny, sweet-smelling things that go along with babies and their mamas make me smile. But before the baby, comes the Baby Shower. Who doesn't love a Baby Shower? Silly games, pretty packages and finger food. Not to mention the excitement of knowing someone you love is about to bring a new life into the world. It's simply magical.

So, naturally, when I received an invitation to my cousin Bekah's baby shower, my pulse quickened  and I immediately went into baby shower mode. What's the theme? Where's she registered? How soon can I go shopping? And just as important, what snacks or treats will I bring?

I called Bekah's mom, Aunt Fran, to R.S.V.P. Yes, we will be there. Turns out, she was hoping I'd be up for trying my hand at a watermelon baby bassinet. Of course, I said yes!

Usually, I will do a dry run to see how the actual project will turn out. This time, I just went for it. It had to be done the day before the shower because any sooner and the fruit would not have been very fresh. I was excited about making this and waiting for the day before was hard to do.

I chose a watermelon that was uniform in shape and had a sort of flat bottom. I tied some curling ribbon around the melon both horizontally and vertically to get straight, even lines and drew the shape to be cut out.

Using a very sharp knife, I cut out the wedge. I removed as much melon as I could and cut it into cubes. You could use a melon baller too {I just couldn't find mine}.




Next, I sliced up a cantaloupe and cut out stars using a small cookie cutter. Then, I added strawberries and grapes and all of the fruit was put back into the "bassinet".

For the baby I used a naval orange and drew closed, sleeping eyes with a sharpie. First, I tried using slices of bell pepper for the eyes but didn't like the way it looked. Using items I picked up at the Dollar Store, I added a headband and pacifier. The pacifier was inserted into a hole I made using a paring knife. 

Finally, using a length of white eyelet ruffle, some tulle and scrap booking grommets, I added detail to the raw edge of the watermelon. And there you have it, a Watermelon Baby Bassinet!

You Can Do It!

The Little Engine That Could

My husband and I have a Sharp Brand microwave oven that we bought at Lechmere in 1995. It was the first purchase we made when we moved in together.  I remember choosing this one because it came with a $50 savings bond that would mature in 25 years! We laughed back then because we figured the microwave would be long gone by the time the bond matured. We laugh now because it's still going strong {and looks brand new} and in 4 years we'll be able to cash that bond in for a fast 50 bucks!

When we first brought this little gem home, it's primary use was for heating up take out. After we were married and I learned a little more about cooking, we used it to heat up left overs. Then we had kids and the possibilities became endless. Heating chicken nuggets, sterilizing sponges, reheating and defrosting. As the kids grew older, they started using it too. Making popcorn, hot cocoa and s'mores and forming mouth guards.

As time passed, we started joking about it and how long it has lasted. It became a challenge to see how long we can keep it for. There was a short period of about 3 days where the button that releases the door was jammed and we had to pull it open while pushing the button.  We were sad to think that we had to finally say goodbye to our little "engine that could" and buy a new one.  It had been a good run though. Then, on day 4, miraculously, it corrected itself! 

Have I mentioned that it still looks brand new? This seriously was the best purchase ever! Yes, we have taken care of it all these years and here's what we've done to keep this beauty in spic n' span order.

We keep it clean. I'm sure everyone has looked into either their own, or someone else's microwave oven and been horrified at the sight. Evidence of last month's lasagna and crusty cheese from last week's casserole. How do you get it off??? Here's my trick, and it will work on that caked on tomato sauce from last month {or last year} too.

Just place a glass ramekin of water in the microwave and heat it for 60 seconds. After five minutes, open the door and wipe out the inside {don't forget the ceiling}. That's it! No chemicals, no scrubbing. If your oven has started to take on an odor, add a lemon wedge to the water before heating. On the back side of the microwave is a vent. This should be cleaned periodically. Dust bunnies love hiding here. Just use the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner or a dry cloth to remove any debris and this should keep it running like a well-oiled machine.

Turns out, my Mother was right. As long as you take care of something, it will last a long time.

You Can Do It!